Cross Sectional Studies

Question 1

What is a descriptive study?

Answer 1

Not designed to evaluate any associations between exposures and outcomes of interest.

Question 2

What is an example of a descriptive study?

Answer 2

• Case reports
• Case series reports
• Surveys

Question 3

What is an analytical study?

Answer 3

The central foundation is the comparison between two groups (understanding the connections)

Question 4

What are some examples of analytical studies?

Answer 4

• Cross-Sectional
• Cohort
• Case Control

Question 5

What is a prospective study?

Answer 5

outcome of interest has not occurred at the
time the study starts

Question 6

What is a retrospective study?

Answer 6

both the exposure and the outcome have
occurred when the study begins.

Question 7

What is an intervention study?

Answer 7

the researcher has control over the allocation of the study subjects to the groups being compared

Question 8

What are the key considerations for cross-sectional studies?

Answer 8

• Background
• Study Objective
• Study population
• sample size
• Exposure and disease
• analysis

Question 9

What are the key characteristics of a cross-sectional study?

Answer 9

The groups are determined based on outcome and exposure simultaneously
* Animals/subjects with/ without disease or outcome
* Exposure determined at single point in time, same as outcomes

Question 10

What is the equation for prevalence?

Answer 10

The number that test positive (at a set time) over the number that test positive + the number that test negative

Question 11

What is the prevalence risk ratio?

Answer 11

compare prevalence of the outcome or
disease frequency in exposed group and non-exposed group.

Question 12

What are the limitations of Cross-Sectional Studies?

Answer 12

• Unless the size of the population is known, it is of little interest to compare populations
• the current exposure status may not reflect the status at the time the disease is occuring
• You may over-represent cases with a long disease duration
• You may under-represent cases with a short disease duration